Injury-ridden Blue Devils prepare for homecoming matchup

By Gavin Schouten,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

The Davis High football team is looking to turn around its current form and give everything it has to win the homecoming game on Oct. 13 at Brown Stadium.

The Blue Devils have had a rough start to their season, picking up six loses and a handful of injuries along the way. The team will go into Friday’s game with only 32 players available for the lineup.

Returning varsity player senior Ethan Iacono, who received a shoulder injury, and junior Ryan Tolson, who suffered a collar bone fracture, are among those unavailable for Friday’s contest. Two defensive players, Zach Carrell and Jeremiah Jones, also expect to be out for the season, both having sustained foot injuries that will require extensive recuperation.

The Blue Devils are looking to their younger players fill the gaps left by the injured.

Junior Zane Schouten has begun to see more playing time in the aftermath of the injuries.

“We’re looking for players to step up for those who have been injured recently […] I’m going to do what I need to do,” Schouten said.

Sophomore Taylor Vaughn has also stepped up to the challenge this season, leading the team with 316 total yards and 4 touchdowns. Vaughn has become a key aspect of the Blue Devil offense and will look to put up some points on Friday night.

Despite the lineup changes, the team feels that the key to a great performance for the homecoming game is to have a focused week of practice.

“There is going to be a lot of events surrounding the game such as the parade […] We can’t get caught up in those things. We need to stay focused and do what we need to win the game,” senior and team captain Will Smith said.

With the large crowd that homecoming games usually attract, a player’s ability to control his nerves can be just as important as the trainings. Smith strives to view this matchup as just another competition and to ignore the homecoming hype flowing through the DHS halls.

“Just because it is homecoming doesn’t mean I am going to change the way I prepare myself. I try to put myself in the best position to win the game regardless if it is homecoming,” Smith said.